Cristina Nita-Rotaru Professor of Computer Science Khoury College of Computer Sciences Northeastern University email: c.nitarotaru@northeastern.edu office: ISEC 626 Directions lab: Network and Distributed Systems Security [nds2] network security, resilient distributed systems, automated testing and verification; applications: critical infrastructure, connected cars, blockchains

``There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.'' Christopher Morley

Research for Undergraduate Students

[Why]   [How]   [When]   [What]  

This page is intended for undergraduate students who would like to know more about the benefits of doing research, the opportunities available to them, the best time to get engaged in research, and the possible outcomes of a research activity. For further information, direct your questions to c.nitarotaru@northeastern.edu.

Why you should do research (even if you don't want to go to graduate school).

Most students think that they should not do research because they do not want to go to graduate school. However, doing research brings many benefits, regardless of what career path somebody might want to pursue. Here are some of them:

• Learn something you will not learn in any class
• Get more from college through interactions beyond those with your peers
• Prepare to make more informed career decisions
• Know yourself better
• Learn how to deal with (life's) uncertainty
• Advance humanity's knowledge

How you can do research as an undergraduate student.

Most opportunities to do research come in three forms: class related work for which you receive credit, employment for which you get paid, or none of these -- you can engage in research outside the academic structure and without getting paid. Below are some examples:

• Take an independent study
• Do a research internship
• Do a research co-op
• Work on a project outside class
• Do a capstone, honors project, or thesis

When is the best time to do research as an undergraduate student.

The best time to get involved in research varies based on the topic, the classes taken, and schedule constraints. For most students, junior year is a good time to pursue a research project in depth. Starting earlier might allow you to learn the mechanics of research and become more independent in your own projects, but if you have not taken some of the foundational classes in computer science you might end up spending your time more on the needed background (that you will also eventually learn in a class) than on the advanced topics themselves. The goal is to learn something that you did not (or would learn) in a class. Talking with a faculty can provide better guidance on choosing the best path for you. Many schools have some introductory classes on research and that can serve as a starting point for making connections with faculty.

Depending on your goals you might need to do research more than one semester. You can use any of the opportunities described above in a combination to achieve your goals. Examples of these goals can be publishing a paper, finishing an implementation, finishing some evaluation in depth. Most in-depth projects require two semesters. This timeframe can be achieved for example, by starting with doing a project for credit during the semester and continuing more in depth during the summer with an internship.

What are the outcomes of an undergraduate research project.

• Code
• Report
• Thesis
• Article published in a peer-reviewed conference

As a faculty at Purdue University and Northeastern University I have advised over 37 undergraduate students in research. Often this research resulted in papers published in peer-reviewed conferences. Several of these students won CRA Undergraduate Research Awards and later went to graduate school and are now professors. Other had very successful careers in industry. Below are some examples of papers from my group which have undergraduate students as co-authors. If you want to get involved you can learn more about our projects [here].